Make this the year you stick to your fitness resolutions with these top tips...
New Year's Day begins the same way every year. You wake up in a bit of a daze, probably with a thumping headache and a dry throat, body aching from who-knows-what damage you've done, which is when you think to yourself, "Wow, I really should start living a healthier life," as if this year will somehow be different from all those that came before. And yet, nothing seems to change.
Except, this year, that’s exactly what’s going to happen. You’re going to make a fitness resolution and we’re going to make sure you stick to it. No more vague pledges. No more unactionable plans that don’t have consequences. No more losing motivation by the second week of January. No. This is the year you unlock your full-potential and become the best version of yourself ever.
You see, failure to exercise is very rarely a knowledge problem. It’s a motivation problem. So if you’re ready -- really ready -- to chase your dreams and realise your fitness goals this year, then this blog is for you. Whether your goal is to do 15 push-ups, complete a marathon, build muscle-mass, torch that belly fat or anything in between, here are ten simple ways to stick to your fitness resolutions and have your fittest year yet.
No1: Write Your Goals Down (And Measure Them)
The most successful resolutions share two traits: they’re specific and they’re measurable. So avoid making vague, broad, overly-generalised goals and come up with a fitness aim that you can actually measure. And then, once you have settled on your hopes and dreams, write them down because, not only will this help you accomplish them, it will help you figure out the steps you need to take in order to succeed.
For example, instead of saying to yourself, ”I want to lose weight”, set a goal that allows you to map out your route from point A to point B. Something specific like, “I’m going to lose 20 pounds over the next six weeks by embracing a nutritious diet, going to the gym five times a week and signing up for an all-inclusive bootcamp. By breaking down your goals into actionable components, you’re way more likely to stay on track.
No2: Make Your Goals Manageable
This is a resolution, not a far-fetched fantasy, and the difference is attainability. If you’ve never done strength and conditioning before, hitting the weights bench every day of the week will probably lead to a bit of disappointment. And a big reason for this is simple: breaking a lifetime of habits is hard. It takes time, patience, effort and little successes.
That’s the secret to a sustainable resolution. It’s about gradual improvements. It’s about consistency. It’s about making small improvements, just like you would when training for a marathon, increasing your mileage each week over several months. The same goes for any fitness goal.
No3: Break Them Down Into Bitesize Aims
One of the simplest ways to increase your chances of success is to break down your goal into smaller milestones that feel doable. For instance, if your hope is to complete 15,000 push-ups over the course of the year, you’re staring down the barrel of a pretty intimidating feat. But break that down to 288 push-ups every week and, well, ok, that’s still quite daunting. But break that down even more and you’re facing the much friendlier-task of completing 42 push-ups a day.
It doesn’t matter what your goal is, when you’re stepping outside of your comfort zone, the best thing you can do is break down your endgame-goal into smaller, more achievable steps and then try to complete these throughout the year, keeping you on your journey to increased muscle mass, reduced visceral fat or whatever your aims are.
No4: Treat Yourself More
The carrot is always better than the stick, so use this to motivate you every time you reach a hard-earned milestone — running 5K, going to the gym five-times in a week, completing the first day at one of our fitness retreats — by rewarding yourself. Not something that is going to undo all your hard work, but something that will keep you on track while also making you smile. A city-break somewhere new, a massage at your local spa, a whole load of new fitness gear, anything that will keep you motivated. After all, regular treats will not only keep you in a positive frame of mind on your journey, but will actually help you reach your milestones more efficiently.
No5: Check into a Fitness Retreat
Whether you're in the market to lose weight, build strength, change your lifestyle, embrace healthy habits, understand how to stick to a nutritious diet or simply binge on those post-workout endorphins, there are so many mental and physical benefits of attending a fitness retreat. But at the top of them all, is the way they accelerate your fitness goals and keep you accountable.
That’s what our all-inclusive fitness retreats are all about. They’re about unlocking your full-potential, inspiring you to step outside your comfort zone, building self-confidence, proving you can achieve whatever you set your mind to and doing it all through a personal approach that suits your wants, needs, metabolism, core fitness and everything else.
No6: Create A Fitness Schedule
Whatever your goal, nailing your time management is absolutely essential and, yeah, fitness is no exception. It’s about understanding what tasks you have to complete, what tasks you want to complete and then creating a schedule that works. That could be heading to the gym before work, signing up to a meal prep delivery service to encourage healthier eating, investing in fitness tech to remind you to keep moving throughout the day. Managing your time to encourage a healthier lifestyle and meet your goals is vital.
Of course, if waking up before dawn’s broken is your idea of torture, then a 5am sweat-session is probably not going to be sustainable. That’s why it’s so important to create a fitness routine that will work for you. This should be based on your sleep pattern, working hours and when you have the most energy. Once you have that, it’s just a matter of creating a schedule, rinsing and repeating
No7: Hold Yourself Accountable
But here’s the best part: there’s so many ways you can keep yourself accountable. Join a running club that meets up in person every Saturday morning. Pencil in regular gym sessions with a friend, your partner or a personal trainer. Pay the deposit for a fitness holiday. Anything that will help to keep you accountable. So whether it’s a financial commitment, a commitment to show up in person or a plan to get sweaty with a workout buddy, it’s been proven that keeping yourself accountable in one way or another will improve your results.
No8: Keep Into Interesting
For a lot of people, the start of January doesn’t just ring in the New Year; it means the start of a fitness resolution. But in order to exercise consistently – say four or five times a week – and overhaul your lifestyle, you need to think beyond the treadmill and dumbbells because nothing will halt your motivation faster than mind-numbing tedium.
Instead, find ways to keep your fitness journey interesting. Shake it up a little. Add yoga sessions into your routine, sign up to a rock climbing class, join that local sports team you’ve been thinking about for a few months now, explore the world of kettlebell workouts, and everything between. Why? Because the more variety you mix into your fitness schedule, the more fun it will be, and fun almost-always transpires to motivation.
No9: Buy Some Cool Gear
Whether you’re getting into rock climbing, fast becoming a yoga-enthusiast, a gym-lover or a bootcamp-addict, if you’re serious about your fitness journey, embrace the lifestyle by investing in some new gear; the kind that will take your focus, motivation and ability up a level. That could be a pair of walking boots, a fitness tracker watch, a running app, a few tech-fabric shirts, a sweat-wicking yoga mat, some new gym leggings, whatever will pique your excitement levels whenever you’re getting ready to exercise. Trust us: something as simple as new workout gear can improve your confidence, motivation and performance when it comes to working out.
No10: Fitness Goals Start in The Kitchen
If you've ever attended one of our fitness retreats, you'll know what food means to us. More than just fuel, it's an essential part of every fitness journey, whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, torch belly fat, boost your energy or all of the above. In short: your fitness journey should always start in the kitchen (and our head-chef’s very own recipe book is packed full of so many tasty options).
That’s where nutritional food prepping comes in. Not only is it a life-changing move, but it’s also your greatest muscle-building, fat-torching ally. You see, by pre-batching breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks ahead of time, you deal with a decision-making double-whammy: not just what to eat and when, but also how much, all of which will help you with your fitness resolutions.
Yet here’s the best part: having healthy meals and snacks at arm’s length will help you continue your hectic and busy lifestyles but with more nutritious food so that you can accomplish your fitness and wellness goals at the same time.
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